In Dharmakṣema's version of the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra we learn that the ātman is a state (dharma) that is true, real, eternal, self-governing, whose foundation is unchanging.
I would add to this list that the ātman is unconditioned, this being also nirvana. But permit me to say that the ātman is unconditioned for us only when it realizes nirvana which is unconditioned.
“he attains utter nirvana in his very self (S., praty- ātman). He knows ‘Destroyed is birth, lived is the holy life, done is what was to be done, there will be no more of thus-conditioned existence” (M. i. 255-256).
The above suggests to me our very ātman that realizes the unconditioned/nirvana also becomes unconditioned. Previous to this, before our awakening, it would appear that the ātman is unknown, or in a state of avidya since, for example, we have confused it with the five skandhas so that all of our values are relative to the skandhas.
It is only when we attain complete nirvana that the unconditionedness of our ātman is finally revealed to us which has always been thus. We learn, further, that we lost our way by thirsting for the conditioned, including a false self which is our temporal body.
The joy of awakening is that we learn of our true nature which is the ātman in addition to learning what is not our ātman; which is merely an illusion maintained by confused beings.
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